Tim lets the rain pour down on him despite his umbrella being tucked away on the side of his backpack. From his school bag to the shirt on his back to the socks on his feet, he's soaking wet as he trudges through the waterlogged sidewalk. He doesn't run, he doesn't find shelter somewhere; Tim is disheartened. Just a few minutes ago he got out of his final exam of the semester. For some that is an event worthy of celebration, but he is sure he's just flunked the exam and in the class that he was already teetering into failing. Now his future was cemented. The thought of redoing the course hurt but he couldn't progress without it. He knew he was going to be spending the summer taking classes which meant he had to stay at his dorm room studying for the whole summer break, rather than going back home.
It's so late most of the lights in the windows are shut off and the place is deserted. Because his exam took place in a different building than his classes, he finds himself passing the social science building where the dreaded psychology class is; the one he no doubt failed and the one that is going to be eating away his summer.
The door to the social science building swings open and a woman in a long, dark jacket with her hood up, steps out. She is wheeling out a cart filled with boxes and is trying to quick step it to her car when she sees Tim. She pauses briefly then runs back inside to find cover for whatever she is wheeling.
"Tim?" He recognizes the voice and wants to run. It is his Psychology teacher Ms. Messina, the woman who probably has his failed exam right there. "Tim is that you?" She continues.
"Uhh. Oh. Yeah. Hi Dr. Messina." Tim says plainly, the rain still splashing down on him.
"Come on, get inside!" She says, stepping back to make way for him.
He briefly considers saying 'No thanks' and continues walking home, but he worries that would be strange or rude so he scampers over and joins her away from the rain.
"It's really coming down, huh?" She tries to make small talk as they watch the sheets of water fall from the sky.
"Yeah..." Tim searches for better words but he finds none. Not even 20 minutes ago he was taking her exam.
"Do you have a ride home?" She asks.
"Oh. No. It's fine if I can walk." He says.
"Look at it out there, you can't walk home in that. You're already soaked." Dr. Messina is right, but Tim has no intention of staying with his professor for one moment longer.
"It's fine-" Tim begins but a blast of thunder cuts him off. It causes him to jump.
"It is definitely not fine! Not if it's lightning as well. Come up to my office, we can stay there until the storm stops." Dr. Messina declares and as Tim is trying to make an excuse to leave she is already on her way.
--
Deanna Messina is a 45 year old Psychology professor. That's known already, of course, but what is notable is Deanna's extensive research into the field of hypnosis. She's teaching first year psychology at the University to give her a place and a wage so she can complete her latest paper, one titled "An Analysis of Complete Subjugation of the Mind Through Hypnosis." What interests her about hypnosis is how the mind can be moulded into parody of itself, into something which is the same but in certain ways entirely different. Can ideas, feelings, desires, and the like be altered to be the polar opposite of what they are.
Deanna is not spiritual but even she had to admit, the opportunity that presented itself when she stumbled upon Tim Reynolds was so serendipitous she could almost believe something was looking out for her.
The boy was sitting on the chair across from her desk. He looks cold in his wet clothes. He looks uncomfortable, like his eyes don't know where to look. He looks delicious.
"I'll make you some tea," She says, ignoring his refusal. "Nonsense, you look like you're freezing. My tea will warm you up." She takes out the kettle from on top of the shelf before unlocking the drawer of her desk.
"Why do you keep your tea locked in a drawer?" Tim speaks up.
"Believe it or not, these tea leaves are the most valuable things in this office to me. Or, among the most. I got them on a trip to Africa several years ago and haven't found any I like as much since." Deanna explains. She is telling most of the truth, but in actuality their value comes not from their taste but rather from its psychological effects. The tea leaves sedate and entrance the drinker, just enough to get their mind pliable.
Deanna pours a bottle of water from her mini-fridge into the kettle and flips it on, the element beneath the liquid begins to heat up and soon the water starts to simmer.
"Oh, I couldn't ask you to use one of the tea bags on me-" Tim starts but is cut off by Deanna. "Nonsense. You need to drink something warm. You'll catch a cold."
After the water boils, Deanna fills a cup with it and inserts the teabag. She lets it brew as they speak. "How did you find the exam?" She asks.
"Oh. Um. Yeah. It was- it was good but there were some tough questions." He says but she knows the truth. He's been struggling all year and from his face during the exam she could tell he was struggling still. It was a shame, she thought, she did like him but he didn't quite get the concepts and never seemed to study enough. He didn't have the right drive. She could give him that. She could give him the motivation to do any number of things.
"Tim, you're a good student but you could do more." Blunt but true.
Tim hangs his head. "Yeah... I know."
"But enough worrying about that for now. You can't do anything to change it at the moment so try to move on to other things. Here's your tea." She hands him the warm mug.
He blew on the liquid to cool it down then lifted the mug to his lips. As soon as he swallowed his first sip, her plan was officially underway.